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Union National Rail Administration
The Union National Rail Administration (UNRA) is a government agency responsible for owning and maintaining the Kalmar Union railway network, including the track, stations, classification yards, traffic management and timetables. Safety oversight is the duty of the subordinate Union Railway Inspectorate, while numerous operating companies run trains on the lines. The administration operates all railway nets in Kalmar Union, except tramways and urban railways (city-trains). Although not directly manages the network of city-trains, which are operated by municipalities or counties, UNRA is responsible for monitoring the security of these networks. The Union main railway network consists of 30,125 kilometres of standard gauge lines, of which 12,214 kilometres is double track and 460 kilometres high-speed rail (>300 km/h) while 57% is electrified at the standard centroeuropean 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC. Fuctions The Union National Rail Administration is the national railway authority. It is responsible for the management of the national railway network, on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communication. Through public funding and with a socio-economic perspective, the objetive is to operate, maintain and develop the national railway network. UNRA is responsible for: *Developing and operating a rail network that meets the requirements of society and the market *Railway stations and terminals *Timetabling *Traffic management *Regulation of the public rail network *Studies and planning in the rail sector Technical issues of the network Track The Union main railway network consists of 30,125 kilometres of standard gauge lines, of which 12,214 kilometres are Standard Union Double Track (180<240) and 540 kilometres Union High Speed Track (>300 km/h). The entire main network is 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) (standard gauge), as are the city-trains in the most important cities. Some heritage and industrial railways, though, operate with various kinds of narrow gauge. While wooden sleepers are used on sidings and branch lines, concrete sleepers are the norm on all main lines; the common two-block concrete sleepers are now being phased out in favour of monoblock ones. Electrification General-purpose electric propulsion was adopted in the early days of the Union; the political decision to electrify the main lines was made in 2002. On the main lines that are equipped with them, the overhead lines carry 15 kV at 16 2/3 H, the standard centroeuropean. City-trains are usually powered by electric propulsion, but they use 750 or 1600 V DC. UNRA has made a huge investment in electrify the main lines, specially in the Eastern Baltic Provences where electrification was almost inexistent. Safety and signalling In order to replace the different and ageing signal systems, in 2007 it has been decided to replace all signal systems on UNRA's active network with BUTCS level 2, relying entirely on cab signalling; general rollout is scheduled for 2008–2012. The city-train network is set to be refitted with a suitable urban rail system, possibly a CBTC system allowing driverless trains, by 2012. The Union railway system 1991-2010 Before the Union, there were large differences between railways of different countries. Standard gauge was the main gauge of scandinavian countries but there were some differences between the forme countries. Main operators were state-owned companies. From the outset, the Union government understood that it was necessary to get a great effort to unify and improve the railway network. The new phase of economic and social expansion needed a fast, safe and effective way for transporting passengers and freight. During the period 1991-2011 the government has decided to invest huge amounts of money in the standardization and improvement of railway lines. During this period UNRA has deployed thousands of km of double track that allows speeds up to 260 km/h. It is called Standard Union Double Track. Mayor network improvements *'Province of Sweden. Conversion to ''Standard Union Double Track' (180<260)'' **Line Ovansjö-Ramsjö-Ljusdal-Bollnäs **Line Bollnäs-Kilafors-Holmsveden-Mo Grindar-Ockelbo-Gävle **Line Furum-Skutskär (New bridge) **Line Bräcke-Langsele-Hellansel-Vännäs-Umea **Line Hässleholm-Kristianstad-Karlskrona **Line Karlskrona-Emmaboda-Kalmar **Line Gotheborg-Bohus-Alvangen-Atotien-Grafnass-Lilla Edet-Trollhätan-Öxnered-Skälebal *'Province of Norway. Conversion to ''Standard Union Double Trac'k (180<260)'' **Line Moss-Fredrikstad-Sarspborg-Skälebal **Line Eidsvoll-Hamar-Lillehammer **Line Oslo-Sandvika-Hornefoss-Myrdal-Bergen **Line Oslo-Drammen-Hokksund-Kongsberg-Hjuksevo-Nordagutu *'Province of Denmark. Voltage adjustment of the existing electrified network at the standard centroeuropean 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC' *'Province of Denmark. Conversion to ''Standard Union Double Track' (180<260)'' **Line Fredericia-Vejle-Skanderberg-Arhus-Randers-Fanup-Alborg **Line Fredericia-Lunderskov-Bramming-Esbjerg **Line Lunderskov-Vojens-Rodekro-Frensburg (Germany) Companies At the beginning of the period, there were the old state-owned companies in Denmark, Sweden and Norway who controlled almost all passenger traffic. Private freight operators existed at that time. With the aim of introducing competition in rail traffic, and once all the railway infrastructure became controlled by UNRA, the government decided to privatize the former state companies of Sweden, Norway and Denmark SJ Railways, NSB Railways and DSB Railways while maintaining percentages close to 30% of the shares. During this period some new passenger train operators have come and also has established an extensive network of private freight railroad. The Union Railway System 2011-2021 The Strategic Plan for Railway Systems 2011-2021 developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, is the document that sits on the rail transportation policy for the coming years. The plan includes not only the operation of the system but also to investments in rail infrastructure developments. The plan is a renewal of the commitment of the government for the railway and is based on the following premises: *The train as a backbone for the development of the whole territory. *The development of the rail network allows you to set the rural population. *Railway is a clean and efficient transport that fits perfectly into the government's environmental objectives. *Railway market operates under the rules of free market allowing competition between companies. To achieve the proposed objectives, the plan is based on the following proposals: High Speed Extenxion By the end of the period, all the cities over 250,000 shoud have UHS services operatives or under construction. See: UHS Standard Union Track Extension Standard Union Track is the first railway systen in the Union and by the end of 2016 all cities over 60,000 shoud have operative SUT connections. *'Currently under conversion': **Tonsberg - Skien - Norgadutu (Province of Norway) **Kristiansand - Sandness (Province of Norway) **Mjölby - Hallsberg (Province of Sweden) **Örebro - Västeras (Province of Sweden) *'Waiting to be awarded': **Norgadutu - Kristiansand (Province of Norway) *'Under study': **Lillehammer - Trondheim (Province of Norway) **Vännas - Lulea (Province of Sweden) **Kalmar - Linköping (Province of Sweden) **Bräcke - Östersund - Trondheim (Provinces of Sweden and Norway) Strengthening of commuter services The state, counties and municipalities will encourage the utilization of commuter services among citizens. They will enhance commuter services awarding franchises on commuter trafic systems. Maps of the railway network Railway Operators 2015 Union High Speed Union High Speed (UHS) is a service of high-speed trains operating at speeds of up to 300 km/h on dedicated track in Baltic Union. All UHS trains are currently operated by Baltic Railways, although private companies may be allowed to run lines in the future. According to the Strategic Plan for Railway Infrastructures 2011-2015 developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, there will be UHS services linking the most important cities by 2015. Due to the History In ther first years after the Union, government launched a plan to develop high speed railway connection between the most important cities of the Union. In March 2005 started the construction of the high speed line that joins Oslo with Stockholm. The line was finished late 2008 and the first train started operations on January 2009. Description Due to geographical and population characteristics that exist in the Union, UHS is not intended as an extensive transportation system, unsless as an intensive system for some cities or regions. Technically it is a dual track with concrete ties, electrified at 15 kV 16⅔ Hz AC, with the most advanced signaling and communications systems (BUTCS level 3) and separated from the outside by a fence. There are no level crossings and in its design and construction have been taken into account both speed and safety of operations. Operational services *'Oslo - Stockholm', with stops at Kil and Västeras Construction and current development *'Oslo - Malmö', with stops at Trollhättan, Göteborg and Halmstad. **Oslo - Göteborg will be finished june 2011. **Göteborg - Malmö is planned to be finished in spring 2012. *'Stockholm - Malmö', with stops at Norrköping, Växjö and Hässleholm. **Malmö - Hässleholm - Växjö will be finished october 2011. **Sotckholm - Norrköping - Växjö is planned to be finished at the end of 2012. Future planned lines *Oslo - Bergen, under preliminar study. *Tallinn - Riga - Vilnius, under final study. *Malmö - Copenhagen - Odense - Ärhus, under preliminary study. Category:Kalmar Union Category:Companies of Kalmar Union Category:Companies Category:Government agencies in Kalmar Union